Approaching Justice for Chauncey Bailey

A 21 year-old Oakland man is pleading guilty to the murder of Oakland journalist Chauncey Bailey last August—a stupid, stupid murder that never would have happened in a just world.

Devaughndre Broussard is going to plead to manslaughter and testify that Yusef Bey, the 40 year-old owner of Oakland's Your Black Muslim Bakery, put a hit on Bailey "because Bey believed the journalist was working on an article critical of the bakery's finances." Jesus.

What a terrible fucking reason for a man's murder, from a bunch of fantasy-soaked cult members. They would have done better asking Chauncey Bailey to be their mentor. We, and everyone else in the East Coast media, should really be paying this case more attention. Lots of journalists put in their own time to investigate the killing (Journalism ego sideshow angle on this here). The mere facts of the case are a good reminder that journalism isn't safe. Chauncey Bailey did it anyhow. The reporters of the Chauncey Baily Project have details of the actual hit:

"He was like, ‘we gotta take him out before he write that story,'" Broussard said. "We already understood what he (meant by) ‘gotta take him out'"… we watch hella mafia movies. It meant "… he gotta go. He wanted him killed because he was about to write an article."

Mafia movies. Jesus Christ.

A few hours later, Broussard said, Mackey woke him up and said it was time to go carry out the hit. They missed Bailey at his apartment, but they caught up to him on 14th St.

"I ran toward him," Broussard said. "I wanted to make sure I had an open go at him. He put his hands up."

Broussard said he then fired the shotgun and Bailey "hit the ground." Later, Broussard said Bey IV wanted to know all the details about the shooting, including a description of a gaping head wound Bailey suffered.